Eastern Cottonwood

Latin: Populus deltoides

Family: Salicaceae

About - found throughout eastern North America and is the parent of most of the hybrid black poplars. This short lived, massive tree of weak wood and should be kept away from buildings, streets, and public places. Roots heave walks and foundations.

 

Description - in open areas divide near the ground into massive branches to a wide irregular crown. In stands, they form long slender trunks with relatively short symmetrical crown.

 

Leaf - simple, alternating, broadly triangular with large, coarse, incurved teeth, stalk is laterally compressed.

 

Bark- smooth, yellowish grey to ashy grey, mature bark deeply furrowed with broad flat ridges.

 

Bud - slender, long and pointed, sticky resinous.

 

Twig - are ridged, yellowish-brown.

 

Flower - male catkins appear before leaves in early spring.

 

Fruit - a 1 cm oval capsule in a catkin up to 30 cm long, 3 or 4 valves, releasing cottony seeds in early summer. Female trees produce messy “cotton”.